The present disclosure is directed to medical therapy systems, and more particularly, to electrode systems such as therapy electrodes including gel release and distribution mechanisms.
Cardiac arrest and other cardiac health ailments are a major cause of death worldwide. Various resuscitation efforts aim to maintain the body's circulatory and respiratory systems during cardiac arrest in an attempt to save the life of the victim. The sooner these resuscitation efforts begin, the better the victim's chances of survival. These efforts are expensive and have a limited success rate, and cardiac arrest, among other conditions, continues to claim the lives of victims.
To protect against cardiac arrest and other cardiac health ailments, some at-risk subjects may use a non-invasive bodily-attached ambulatory medical monitoring and treatment device, such as the LifeVest® wearable cardioverter defibrillator available from ZOLL Medical Corporation. To remain protected, the subject wears the device nearly continuously while going about their normal daily activities, while awake, and while asleep.
Such medical devices work by providing one or more shocks to a patient. Prior to delivering the one or more shocks, a conductive gel deployment device can release a conductive gel about a conductive surface of a therapy electrode such that the one or more shocks can be directed from the therapy electrode to the patient's skin.